Review: Free of Charge

I just finished a great book by Miroslav Volf on the nature of giving and forgiveness, Free of Charge: Giving and Forgiving in a Culture Stripped of Grace. It is divided into two parts, the first on giving and the second on forgiveness. I found it to be very insightful as to the nature of both giving and forgiving, and his insight into Luther's texts was helpful in trying to further understand Scripture. Most important, though, Volf uses Scripture as the source and hope for the statements he sets out. By using God as the ultimate giver and forgiver he outlines how we should give/forgive and then asks, "how can we give/forgive?" He also gives a good critique of contemporary culture and encourages us within the Christ to question the grace stricken world shown to us and challenges us to demonstrate the love of Christ to a broken society and to those within the community. How we give and how we forgive should be marking us out as followers of the one from whom we receive the power to give and forgive.

Again, a great read, and very readable.

Grace's Wounding

Going through the Bible in a year is an admirable goal. I've done it a couple of times now, and let me warn you about the best set back that could possibly happen: the verse lapse. The verse lapse is when you get stuck on a verse and are pulled back to it every time you open the Bible. Progress becomes slowed, and your goal could not be hindered by any better thing. This verse can become the lens through which you start reading the rest of Scripture.

And I have been caught in a verse lapse. It is not a bad thing. But if you are a goal driven person set on finishing the Bible in 365 then it can catch you off guard and can be annoying if you aren't prepared.

Here is where I am caught:

"So do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal." 2 Cor 4:16-18

I am stuck on these verses as I ponder the rest of the texts as I read. This verse is what God is showing me my present life through. I am amazed at His provision, and the timeliness of His actions, His ever-present care. And all these things that I am caught up in are light and momentary, our lives are but grass, like a spark.

O'Connor said it best, "Grace must wound before it can heal". And if this fatal cut is deep, how great the scar that is the story of how my God has rescued me!

I am so unbiased I won't mention Jesus once

I think it is laughable that anyone can consider anyone unbiased. The idea that CNN or MSNBC or FoxNews or NPR can claim to have the most level, straight forward news broadcasting makes me wonder who is still falling for this?

I just read a comment on Facebook where someone is questiong the NPR broadcast becuase it mentions Jesus and on that basis questions NPR's neutrality. So, NPR can mention anything except Jesus and still remain unbiased? Or are they already heading down that slope by not mentioning Jesus or Mohammed or Obama's expense plans or their pseudo-commercials for those businesses who support thwm financially?

I find it better to be plain about these things... I am biased, and there's no getting around it. Its not the bias that's the problem, but the refusal to acknowledge that you are biased. It's not the ground you stand on, but your problem to admit it's there. And here it goes: I'm all kinds of biased. I prefer anything to Strawberries or bananas. I do not like watching baseball unless I'm at the park. I root for Gonzaga because with a name like that who wouldn't. I love my wife more than anyone else, and yes my girls will always beat out anyone else's kids in areas of looks and awesomeness. And I am a follower of Jesus Christ, so I'm liable to live my life a certain way, no different in thought than the best Hindu, Muslem, or agnostic.

When you fall so hard

Today is just one fo those days when I'm not sure what to do. I'm so distracted by the events of yesterday that I just feel kinda numb and preoccupied. When someone trips like that, you wonder how much they're hurt. My heart is broken when I think of their family, when I think of all the families affected. There's just so much I want to do, and ask, but I am set off on one task of just seeking out God in this.

I'm very aware of two things: 1) how much our actions can affect a whole community, and 2) I have become aware of my own failings. Am I truly aware of how much I hinder the work of the gospel in my daily life? What are those things that I say and do that are impeding my effectiveness, or the effectiveness of my community, to reach out to the world in Christ's name? Am I truly caring for the least of these, my wife, and my daughters, my brothers and sisters in Chirst?

In the midst of what I felt as triumph after our Easter Egg Hunt night, I am amazed at how stealthily Satan pads around. I don't want to think that all the positive things that occurred that nigth were laid to waste. I'm just repeating, "Let your face shine that we migth eb saved!" over and over as I think abotu the people I talked to that night. I pray that God will be able to be seen effectively and gloriously through these circumstances. What is the scheme of man compared to the wonder and glory of the wisdom of God? What hope has Satan, and any who would scorn the cross?